1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bone graft or spinal interbody device, and more particularly to a radially expandable bone graft or spinal interbody device, interbody device, spinal prosthesis, or the like including three hinged members or elements hinged and coupled together and including an improved structure or configuration for allowing the hinged members or elements to be easily and quickly expanded and/or to be easily and quickly contracted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical bone grafts, intervertebral implants, intervertebral spacers, bone graft devices or the like have been developed and provided for being filled or fitted or engaged into the bone materials or members of the human or user for repairing bone defects, such as the damaged or degenerated spinal disc in a spinal column or vertebrae of a human or user, or the like, and normally comprise a constructed or spatial member for engaging into the bone materials or members of the user and for repairing bone defects.
The other radially expandable interbody devices, spinal prosthesis or the like are configured to be delivered to an implant site in a radially collapsed state or with radially minimal dimensions and then radially expanded or with radially maximum dimensions at the implant site hence the term expandable or dynamic. In this manner, the radially expandable interbody device may be delivered to the implant site through a small delivery area when in the radially collapsed state and then easily radially expanded when implanted. The radially expandable interbody device may be fashioned from a biocompatible material such as titanium, a titanium alloy, stainless steel, other metal, polymer, composite, ceramic and/or any combination thereof. The radially expandable interbody device is preferably, but not necessarily, used as a lumbar interbody device and/or for use in an ALIF surgery.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,848 to Baker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,227 to Cottle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,289 to Coates et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,579 to Steffee et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,509 to Ford et al. disclose several of the typical bone grafts, intervertebral implants, intervertebral spacers, bone graft devices or the like and each also comprising a constructed or spatial member, such as an artificial spinal disc prosthesis, or the like for fitting or engaging into the bone materials or members, such as the damaged or degenerated spinal column or vertebrae or spinal disc of the human or user.
However, the conventional or typical bone grafts, intervertebral implants, intervertebral spacers, bone graft devices or the like comprise a constructed or spatial member that includes a solid and stable structure and that may include a great hardness that the bone materials or members of the user may be worn out or damaged or degenerated by the conventional or typical bone grafts, intervertebral implants, intervertebral spacers, bone graft devices or the like after use.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0043800 to Paul et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0113920 to Foley et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0142858 to Colleran et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0224241 to Butler et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0079883 to Butler et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 8,241,358 to Butler et al. disclose several of the typical radially expandable interbody devices, spinal prosthesis or the like each comprising two or more legs or arms or limbs pivotally coupled together and radially expandable with a driving tool.
However, the pivotally coupled limbs should be expanded with the driving tool and may not be easily and quickly opened or expanded or contracted.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional bone graft or spinal interbody devices.